Happy National Pet Month!

By Eva Niessner

There's a lot of things to love about the month of May -- warm weather, the Kinetic Sculpture Race, and the end of the college spring semester-- but you may not have known that May is National Pet Month, too! To celebrate, here are a few pet facts you might not have known:

1. Cats don't meow to talk to each other, but they do meow to talk to us!

According to The Cut, feral cats don't do much meowing when they communicate with other cats. But when they know it's time for you to bring them breakfast, or they want you to open that door you just shut, or they're extremely concerned about that bug they just saw, they'll meow in a specific way, just for you! Can you tell what your cat wants just by the way they meow?

2. About 30% of Marylanders own a dog.

Believe it or not, that's actually on the low end! In states like Arkansas and New Mexico, that number is more like 46% or 47% of people in the state. If you're thinking about increasing that number by becoming a first-time dog owner, there are many shelter dogs in Maryland that could use a good home.

3. Goldfish can live a really long time!

It's a myth that goldfish don't live very long. In fact, they can live as long as a dog or a cat -- 15 or 20 years! The problem is that many people don't take proper care of their goldfish, and they stick them in a bowl without considering what they actually need to thrive. If you decide to bring home a goldfish, be sure to give it the best environment you can.

4. People names are really popular for pets, too.

According to PEOPLE, the most popular dog names of 2016 were Charlie, Cooper, Bella and Lucy. Cats were most likely to be named Oliver, Max, and Luna. Do you know a dog or a cat with a human name, or do your pets have more 'animal' names like Shadow or Snowball?

5. Dogs can see in color, just not as well as us.

Many people believe that dogs only see in black and white, but research suggests that that's not actually true. Humans have three cones in their eyes that help them see colors, while dogs only have two, so they can see shades of blue, yellow and green, according to PetMD. It's comparable to the sight of humans who are red-green colorblind. (So they can see about 3/4 of the Maryland flag!)

Want to show your pet home much you love them? Of course you do! You can grab a gift for them on our website. Shop our pet collection here.